


Initiation

by bpd_changeling



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M, Marauders, jily, mckinnald (mentioned), wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-30
Updated: 2017-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-07 05:31:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12226749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bpd_changeling/pseuds/bpd_changeling
Summary: Lily and Marlene are "initiated" into the Marauders, and two pairs finally get their crap together.





	Initiation

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a long time ago, so its maybe not my best work, but I really hope y'all like it <3

     Remus Lupin was not a stranger to jealousy. When your whole life you've been poor and, until Hogwarts, alone and a _werewolf_ , there was a lot to be desired. But in this moment, none of that seemed significant. Not when Sirius had an arm around the shoulder of a certain blue-green-eyed witch with choppy blonde hair, a couple feathered braids, and a shark tooth pendant around her neck. Just Sirius's type, too- bold and spunky, yet flirty and open. _'Bloody Marlene McKinnon.'_

     There were six of them walking down the street through Hogsmeade together- Remus, Sirius, James, Peter, Marlene, and Lily- but none of them stopped to look in shop windows today. Today, they had a purpose- one Remus should have been excited about; Peter certainly was.

"Oh, this is going to be brilliant! We haven't had an initiation since mine, and that was second year!" James grinned.

"It is pretty cool," he agreed. "Especially for you birds-" This to Marlene and Lily "-who get to join the most elite group in the world." Marlene snorted, and Sirius pushed her hair into her eyes in retaliation. She laughed. Remus's gut clenched.

"I don't know about 'most elite'," Lily offered, "but I reckon it'll be pretty neat. Anyway, will you _please_ tell me what my name's going to be now?"

"Prongs..." Remus said warningly, briefly distracted from the two touching individuals. James waved him off.

"Don't worry, Moony, I won't spill. Evans, we'll be there in a bit, and then you can find out for yourself." She rolled her eyes at him, but he just smiled back affectionately. _'Honestly, why aren't those two dating yet?'_ Remus thought, but dating just made him think of Sirius again. He stared at the ground for the rest of the walk.

     Their destination was a cave just outside the village, and James felt his heart beat a little faster as they approached the mouth. Peter was right; this _was_ thrilling. He glanced at Lily, who looked curious and impatient, and maybe a little excited herself, if he was not mistaken. They entered in silence. 

    There were candles around the edges of the cave, and the Marauders lit them with magic. Sirius also retrieved a bottle of firewhiskey from a small chest in the back corner while James instructed the rest to sit down in a circle.

"The process is fairly simple," he said in a businesslike voice. "Evans, you'll go first. Just say 'I'- insert your full name- 'solemnly swear that I am up to no good', and then the four of us-" He gestured around. "-will accept you into our ranks and give you a name. Get it?"

"Got it."

"Good. Go on then." Lily took a deep breath, as if this were some major transition in her life, and act that James found endearing. He wondered briefly, uncomfortably, if this was because becoming a Marauder severed her last vague ties to Snape, but he shook the notion off and remained quiet. "I, Lily Madeline Evans, solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Lily said with conviction. Now, James felt a strange surge of pride. _'One of us,'_ he thought, _'for good.'_ Out loud, he said, "I, James Fleamont Potter, known as Prongs, accept you as a fellow manager of mischief."

"I, Sirius Orion Black, known as Padfoot, accept you as a fellow manager of mischief."

"I, Remus John Lupin, known as Moony, accept you as a fellow manager of mischief."

"I, Peter Chase Pettigrew, known as Wormtail, accept you as a fellow manager of mischief." Lily smiled.

"And now, the moment you've been waiting for," James said, grinning. "You are no longer only Lily Evans but, among the Marauders, you are also... Speckles." Lily laughed gleefully. "Like the markings on my Patronus, the doe!" she exclaimed. They all nodded in confirmation. Lily and James's eyes met, both smiling, but softly now. _'Prongs and Speckles,'_ he thought. _'Prongs and Speckles,'_ he'd never know she was thinking at the same time.

     "My turn!" Marlene said. "I hope my name's something good!" Remus bit back a quite unhelpful comment. He liked Marlene, he really did. He just didn't like seeing her with Sirius. Of course, if he'd only moved a little closer on the walk down, he might have caught the words of a whispered conversation.

_"Your boyfriend doesn't like me much. He thinks we're shagging."_

_"_ _Oh, as if. No offense, McKinnon, since you feel the same way. You're just not- what's the word- male enough for me. And he's not my boyfriend."_

_"Yet. And no offense taken. You're not- what's the word- female enough for me either, Black."_

_"Touché."_  If he had heard this conversation, he might have felt very different at that moment. As it was, he just felt grumpy.

     "I, Marlene Lyda McKinnon, solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Marlene said. James and Sirius said their acceptances. Remus grumbled through his, earning him a raised eyebrow from James and a look between Sirius and Marlene that he, again, missed. Peter finished.

"And now," James said again, "You are no longer only Marlene McKinnon but, among the Marauders, you are also... Claws." Marlene grinned, evidently satisfied with the name.

"Like my Patronus," she commented rhetorically.

"The panther," James agreed anyway.

     Then came Sirius's favorite part of the ceremony. The part that, honestly, Remus was most impatient to reach on a this particular day- the drinking.

"Those who make merry together make mischief together!" Sirius cried, taking a gulp of firewhiskey and passing it to Marlene, who giggled and drank as well. They passed it around, and everyone drank. When Lily handed James the bottle, their fingers touched for a moment longer than necessary. They both blushed and looked away, but their hands met again on the floor once the bottle had been sent on to Remus, who took a large mouthful. Instantly, he felt a buzz in his head along with the burn in his throat. He felt lighter, braver.

"Sirius," he said firmly. "Can I talk to you outside?" Sirius grinned.

"Sure thing," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at Marlene behind Remus's back as they exited the cave.

     "What's up?" he asked, out in the light. Remus debated how to go about this. He hadn't really made any kind of plan, though it was kind of too late to regret that now, and the silence was stretching on, and he didn't know what to say, and it was getting awkward, and- Oh, fuck it.

"You shouldn't date Marlene," he blurted. Then he went red. Sirius raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? How do you figure?"

"Because... because it's not the right fit! Because you need someone... someone different," he finished lamely. Sirius, however, was smirking now.

"And who would you say is the right fit, Moony?" he asked, stepping closer. Remus's breath caught in his throat.

"I guess... well... me?" he squeaked.

"Good answer," Sirius said, and kissed him.

     Remus was stunned for a moment, frozen in shock, but then his instincts kicked in and he melted into the kiss. His arms went around Sirius's neck, and Sirius's hands rested on his back. It became passionate and hungry, something they'd clearly both craved for ages, and when they finally broke apart, both were panting to catch their breath. Sirius was still grinning, and Remus grinned back.

"So, that just happened."

"Yeah, I suppose it did," the black-haired boy agreed. They chuckled. "Anyway, we should probably get back in there."

"Yeah, let's do that."

     The cave was silent when the two rejoined the others. James sat right where he had been, feeling giddy and lightheaded. Lily looked dazed as well, a tiny smile on her lips as she stared vaguely at the floor, cheeks flushed. James looked up at his friends, who were blushing a bit themselves. It took them a moment to realize that no one else was looking at them.

"What happened?" Remus asked in confusion. Marlene, who had been sitting with her face covered, giggling helplessly, dropped her hands.

"James and Lily _kissed_ ," she explained, still giggling. Peter was marginally calmer, though he looked uncomfortable- he'd always been weird about PDA. Sirius, on the other hand, whooped.

"About time, mate!" He plopped down between the two lovebirds and threw his arms around their shoulders. "Does that mean you're 'Lames' now?" he asked. Marlene scoffed.

"Of course not, that's ridiculous. They'd obviously be Jily!" Sirius rolled his eyes and looked around for votes.

"Moony?" Remus seemed to consider.

"Lames," he said finally. Sirius's eyes sparkled.

"That's two for 'Lames'. Wormy?"

"Lames," Peter seconded, grinning.

     Marlene threw up her hands.

"Sorry, McKinnon, you lose. Speaking of which, pay up." The blonde raised an eyebrow. "I bet that Prongs would get Speckles _and_ I would get Moony before you got up the nerve to ask out McDonald, and I won," Sirius elaborated. "You and Mary are still not an item. So, Claws, I repeat- pay up." Marlene groaned and withdrew two galleons from her pocket, handing them over. Remus, for his part, looked between them in awe.

"Marlene, you like...." James laughed, finally shaking off his post-kiss trance.

"You didn't know, Moony? She's been crushing for, like, _ever_."

"I will hit you, Potter," Marlene snarled.

"Yeah, yeah. Shut it, Claws. Anyway, Moons, who did you _think_ she was with?"

"Honestly? Him." He gestured to Sirius. Peter laughed. "Remus, Sirius and Marlene's friendship was founded on her making out with heartbroken girls that he rejected while waiting around for _you_. It was pretty ridiculous, really. I can't believe you didn't notice."

     Remus beamed. And then Lily squeezed James's hand lightly, and he beamed too. _'Prongs and Speckles,'_ he thought for the second time.

"Prongs and Speckles," Lily whispered aloud.


End file.
